Chapter 1
On the first day of our honeymoon, my husband, Michael Grant, left me alone at the hotel.
Michael said, "You get some rest. I'm taking Emily to see the aurora. Back when we got married, she was pregnant, so she missed out."
I watched as he and his ex-wife, Emily Foster, walked away, their figures fading into the night.
Five days later, they still hadn't come back.
I received a photo from Michael. Emily was wearing the couple's outfit I'd packed, sleeping in the ocean-view room I'd booked, and having the candlelit dinner I'd reserved.
Under the photo, he wrote: [Making up for Emily's missed honeymoon.]
I replied: [And what about my honeymoon?]
He said: [Once Emily's had her fun, I'll take you on a honeymoon all over again.]
I laughed.
Why should my life go on hold until somebody else was finished enjoying hers?
*****
Half an hour ago, Emily sent me a video.
In the video, Emily was holding a pair of scissors, laughing as she shredded the scarf into pieces.
"Sophia, don't be mad. Emily didn't mean it," Michael said.
On the other end of the line, Michael's voice was deep and tender.
If I ignored the howling wind and the woman's playful laughter in the background, it really did sound like a husband murmuring sweet nothings to his wife.
I gave a faint, almost cold smile, my voice steady.
"She didn't mean it? So she just happened to grab the scissors, made sure not to touch any of the tassels, and cut up the section with our names on it?" I said.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
Michael said, "Sophia, it's just a scarf. If you want, I'll buy you ten Hermès ones when we get back.
"Emily's mood has been all over the place lately. The doctor thinks she might be severely depressed.
"Seeing that scarf brought back memories of the honeymoon we never got to take, and she got overwhelmed."
He paused, his voice growing even softer.
"You've always been so understanding and forgiving. Just let it slide for her, alright?"
I took a deep breath, forcing down the bitterness rising in my chest.
"Michael, that was my honeymoon gift," I said.
"I know," Michael replied.
He cut me off, patiently.
He said, "That's why I said we'd do the honeymoon over again once she's had her fun, just the two of us.
"The aurora's not going anywhere, and we can always book another hotel.
"Emily needs me right now. She only feels safe when I'm around."
Suddenly, I heard Emily's soft, girlish voice in the background.
"Michael, I'm cold. Can you give me a hug?" she said.
Michael didn't bother to cover the phone.
I heard his answer clearly.
He said, "Alright, I'm coming."
Then he spoke into the phone again, with a hint of authority in his voice.
He said, "Sophia, just stay put at the hotel, okay? Don't go wandering off.
"It's really coming down out there. It's not safe for you to be out alone.
"Once I'm done here, I'll come straight back to you."
He took it for granted that I would be right where he left me.
That was what I had done for the past three years.
No matter how many times he left me hanging for Emily, as long as he came back with a few sweet words, I'd always let it slide.
After all, he always claimed Emily was this poor, helpless woman.
Emily had lost the baby back then and could never have another, and in the end the two of them divorced, not because they wanted to but because they saw no other way.
He was good to me, but when it came to Emily, he had zero limits.
I closed my eyes, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill.
"What if I said I don't want to wait anymore?" I asked.
Michael let out a soft laugh.
He said, "Don't be silly, Sophia.
"You don't even speak Nordland's language. Where would you even go without me?
"Be good, I have to go. Emily's calling me."
The busy tone echoed in my ear.
I stared at my phone screen as it went dark, and suddenly, the whole thing just felt ridiculous.
He was right, because I didn't speak a word of the language here.
That was why he felt free to leave me stranded in this foreign hotel, with nobody around who even knew me.
He treated me like some caged pet, just waiting for him to spare me a moment of his attention.
I walked over to the window and pulled back the heavy curtains.
Outside, a blizzard was raging, snow whipping across the sky.
I opened the flight booking app on my phone.
I typed in my destination, which was home.
The earliest flight left the following afternoon.
Without a second thought, I hit the pay button.
The screen switched, asking for my passport info.
I went to my suitcase and unzipped the innermost compartment.
There was nothing in it.
I stood there, stunned.
I turned the whole suitcase upside down and rummaged through my purse too.
My passport was gone.
It wasn't only my passport, because my ID was gone too.
Suddenly, a memory from yesterday at the airport flashed through my mind.
Michael had thoughtfully taken my bag from me.
"Sophia, let me take care of your documents. I'll keep them all together so you don't misplace anything," he said.
Back then, I thought he was just being considerate, so I smiled and agreed.
It turned out, he had everything covered from the start.
He had cut off every way out I had.
He hadn't even left me the means to run.
My phone screen lit up again.
It was a voice message from Emily.
I tapped it to play.
Emily's voice came through, full of playful amusement.
She said, "Ms. Bennett, Michael said he's got all your documents in his bag.
"So you'd better not run off, or you'll be stuck out here in the snow with no papers. What would you do then?
"Too bad for you, Michael's spending tonight with me again, watching the stars.
"Looks like you'll be all by yourself tonight. Take care, alright?"